U.S. patent number 10,779,029 [Application Number 16/157,580] was granted by the patent office on 2020-09-15 for video creation at scale.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Facebook, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Facebook, Inc.. Invention is credited to Emily Anciaux, Andre Cassal, Haoran Liu, Zuli Liu, Christopher John Marra, Peter Saisi, Zhiyao Xu.
United States Patent |
10,779,029 |
Liu , et al. |
September 15, 2020 |
Video creation at scale
Abstract
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing data of a number
of items from a third-party computing system; identifying a subset
of the number of items based on a value of a ranking model for each
identified item being higher than a pre-determined threshold value;
for each identified item of the subset, determining a number of
similar items from the number of items; receiving a template for a
video from the third-party computing system; for each of the
identified items, generating a video incorporating the identified
item and the respective number of similar items in accordance with
the template; caching the generated videos; and providing for
display on a client device of a user, a particular one of the
videos selected based on information of the user.
Inventors: |
Liu; Haoran (San Jose, CA),
Liu; Zuli (San Mateo, CA), Anciaux; Emily (San
Francisco, CA), Marra; Christopher John (Somerville, MA),
Cassal; Andre (San Francisco, CA), Saisi; Peter
(Mountain View, CA), Xu; Zhiyao (San Mateo, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Facebook, Inc. |
Menlo Park |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Facebook, Inc. (Menlo Park,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
1000003652785 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/157,580 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
21/2668 (20130101); H04N 21/23106 (20130101); H04N
21/25891 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04N
21/2368 (20110101); H04N 21/231 (20110101); H04N
21/2668 (20110101); H04N 21/258 (20110101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Chen; Cai Y
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Baker Botts L.L.P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising: by one or more computing devices, accessing
data of a plurality of items from a third-party computing system;
by the one or more computing devices, identifying a subset of the
plurality of items based on a value of a ranking model for each
identified item being higher than a pre-determined threshold value;
by the one or more computing devices, for each identified item of
the subset, determining a grouping of a number of items from the
plurality of items that are similar to the identified item; by the
one or more computing devices, receiving a template for video
creation from the third-party computing system; by the one or more
computing devices, for each of the identified items, automatically
creating a new video by combining (1) the identified item and (2)
the respective number of grouped items that are similar to the
identified item in accordance with the template received from the
third-party computing system; by the one or more computing devices,
caching the created videos; and by the one or more computing
devices, providing for display on a client device of a user, a
particular one of the videos selected based on information of the
user.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking model is based on
information of a plurality of user types.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein creating the new video comprises
creating a video for each of the plurality of user types.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular one of the videos
is selected based on a value of an affinity coefficient between the
user and an item of the particular one of the videos.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular one of the videos
is selected based on an event that the user has indicated interest
in, social graph connections of the user has indicated interest in,
the user has signed up for, or the user has purchased
admission.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular one of the videos
is selected based on recent interactions of the user.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the grouping of the
number of items from the plurality of items is based on a
similarity ranking.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the template comprises a format
type of the new video, a uniform resource locator (URL) associated
with the identified item, a type of transition between images, one
or more calls-to-action (CTA) buttons, a type of font, one or more
logos, or background color.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating one or more
of the videos in response to receiving updated information of a
respective identified item.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying one or
more items of the plurality of items without an associated video;
and creating a video for each identified item without the
associated video in accordance with the template, wherein the video
incorporates identified item without the associated video and a
pre-determined number of grouped items that are similar to the
identified item.
11. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media
embodying software that is operable when executed to: access data
of a plurality of items from a third-party computing system;
identify a subset of the plurality of items based on a value of a
ranking model for each identified item being higher than a
pre-determined threshold value; for each identified item of the
subset, determine a grouping of a number of items from the
plurality of items that are similar to the identified item; receive
a template for video creation from the third-party computing
system; for each of the identified items, automatically create a
new video by combining (1) the identified item and (2) the
respective number of grouped items that are similar to the
identified item in accordance with the template received from the
third-party computing system; cache the created videos; and provide
for display on a client device of a user, a particular one of the
videos selected based on information of the user.
12. The media of claim 11, wherein the ranking model is based on
information of a plurality of user types.
13. The media of claim 12, wherein software is further operable to
create a video for each of the plurality of user types.
14. The media of claim 11, wherein the particular one of the videos
is selected based on a value of an affinity coefficient between the
user and an item of the particular one of the videos.
15. The media of claim 11, wherein the particular one of the videos
is selected based on an event that the user has indicated interest
in, social graph connections of the user has indicated interest in,
the user has signed up for, or the user has purchased
admission.
16. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory
coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the
processors, the processors being operable when executing the
instructions to: access data of a plurality of items from a
third-party computing system; identify a subset of the plurality of
items based on a value of a ranking model for each identified item
being higher than a pre-determined threshold value; for each
identified item of the subset, determine a grouping of a number of
items from the plurality of items that are similar to the
identified item; receive a template for video creation from the
third-party computing system; for each of the identified items,
automatically create a new video by combining (1) the identified
item and (2) the respective number of grouped items that are
similar to the identified item in accordance with the template
received from the third-party computing system; cache the created
videos; and provide for display on a client device of a user, a
particular one of the videos selected based on information of the
user.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the ranking model is based on
information of a plurality of user types.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein processors are further operable
to create a video for each of the plurality of user types.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the particular one of the
videos is selected based on a value of an affinity coefficient
between the user and an item of the particular one of the
videos.
20. The system of claim 16, wherein the particular one of the
videos is selected based on an event that the user has indicated
interest in, social graph connections of the user has indicated
interest in, the user has signed up for, or the user has purchased
admission.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure generally relates to automated video creation.
BACKGROUND
A social-networking system, which may include a social-networking
website, may enable its users (such as persons or organizations) to
interact with it and with each other through it. The
social-networking system may, with input from a user, create and
store in the social-networking system a user profile associated
with the user. The user profile may include demographic
information, communication-channel information, and information on
personal interests of the user. The social-networking system may
also, with input from a user, create and store a record of
relationships of the user with other users of the social-networking
system, as well as provide services (e.g., wall posts,
photo-sharing, event organization, messaging, games, or
advertisements) to facilitate social interaction between or among
users.
The social-networking system may send over one or more networks
content or messages related to its services to a mobile or other
computing device of a user. A user may also install software
applications on a mobile or other computing device of the user for
accessing a user profile of the user and other data within the
social-networking system. The social-networking system may generate
a personalized set of content objects to display to a user, such as
a newsfeed of aggregated stories of other users connected to the
user.
SUMMARY OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
Particular embodiments may automatically generate a video using a
catalog of images of items. In particular embodiments, a video
creator may create a video template for personalization, customize
the template with a personalized message, and associate a set of
items with the template. Particular embodiments may combine the
video template, items of the set, and information about a
particular user to create a video from the item(s) the particular
user is likely to be interested in. The relevant items, based on a
product recommendation and ranking model, are featured in a video
shown to the particular user. In some examples, videos shown to
various users have the same narrative since these videos are based
off the same video template, but feature different items.
In particular embodiments, a personalized video is generated for
specified items of a catalog. For example, the personalized video
may have a featured item and a pre-determined number of similar
items (e.g., an item that is of a similar model with a different
color or different style from the same manufacturer) that are
highly related to the featured item. For example, an entity may
determine whether the item is displayed in a video, multi-image
format (carousel), or collection format. In addition, the entity
may specify a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the
video, one or more call-to-action (CTA) buttons, provide a
narrative, select a transition between images, font, background
color, or logos. The personalized videos may be regenerated or
updated for item changes (e.g., no longer available, new packaging,
or price changes). An item of interest for the particular user may
be identified and the video that is associated with the identified
item displayed.
The embodiments disclosed herein are only examples, and the scope
of this disclosure is not limited to them. Particular embodiments
may include all, some, or none of the components, elements,
features, functions, operations, or steps of the embodiments
disclosed above. Embodiments according to the invention are in
particular disclosed in the attached claims directed to a method, a
storage medium, a system and a computer program product, wherein
any feature mentioned in one claim category, e.g. method, can be
claimed in another claim category, e.g. system, as well. The
dependencies or references back in the attached claims are chosen
for formal reasons only. However any subject matter resulting from
a deliberate reference back to any previous claims (in particular
multiple dependencies) can be claimed as well, so that any
combination of claims and the features thereof are disclosed and
can be claimed regardless of the dependencies chosen in the
attached claims. The subject-matter which can be claimed comprises
not only the combinations of features as set out in the attached
claims but also any other combination of features in the claims,
wherein each feature mentioned in the claims can be combined with
any other feature or combination of other features in the claims.
Furthermore, any of the embodiments and features described or
depicted herein can be claimed in a separate claim and/or in any
combination with any embodiment or feature described or depicted
herein or with any of the features of the attached claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates an example video-creation system.
FIG. 2 illustrate example groupings of images.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example method for automatically generating
videos at scale.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example network environment associated with a
social-networking system.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example social graph.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example computer system.
DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
Particular embodiments may automatically generate a video using a
catalog of images of items. In particular embodiments, a video
creator may create a video template for personalization, customize
the template with a personalized message, and associate a set of
items with the template. Particular embodiments may combine the
video template, items of the set, and information about a
particular user to create a video from the item(s) the particular
user is likely to be interested in. The relevant items, based on a
product recommendation and ranking model, are featured in a video
shown to the particular user. These videos have the same narrative
since these videos are based off the same video template, but
feature different items.
In particular embodiments, a personalized video is generated for
specified items of a catalog. For example, the personalized video
may have a featured item and a pre-determined number of similar
items (e.g., an item that is of a similar model with different
color or different style from the same manufacturer) that are
highly related to the featured item. For example, an entity may
determine whether the item is displayed as a video, multi-image
format (carousel), or collection format. In addition, the entity
may specify a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the
video, one or more call-to-action (CTA) buttons, provide a
narrative, select a transition between images, font, background
color, or logos. The personalized videos may be regenerated or
updated for item changes (e.g., no longer available, new packaging,
or price changes). An item of interest for the particular user may
be identified and the video that is associated with the identified
item displayed.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example video-creation system. A
video-creation system 100 may be used to automatically generate
videos using static images at scale. As illustrated in the example
of FIG. 1, video-creation system 100 may include a ranking engine
105, grouping engine 115, video-generation engine 120, data store
164, and relevancy engine 125. Third-party system 170 and
video-creation system 100 are coupled to network 110 through links
150. As an example and not by way of limitation, an entity (e.g.,
an advertiser) may provide a template for videos to be created by
video-creation system 100 that incorporate a number of still
images. In particular embodiments, the template for videos may
include information of a format (e.g., video, multi-image
(carousel), or collection). In addition, the template for videos
may specify a URL associated with the video, one or more
call-to-action (CTA) buttons, provide a narrative for the video,
specify a transition between images, font, background color, or
logos. As an example and not by way of limitation, one or more
videos generated at scale by video-creation system 100 may be a
video ad for presentation on a client device of a user. In
particular embodiments, video-creation system 100 may be included
in a social-networking system described below. Although this
disclosure describes and illustrates a video-creation system with
particular components, this disclosure contemplates any suitable
video-creation system having any suitable components.
In particular embodiments, video-creation system 100 may receive
information of a number of items from third-party system 170
through network 110. As an example and not by way of limitation, an
item may include a food product, album, book, movie, television
show, work of art, automobile, pet, sports team, location, a
business, or any other content. The information of the items may
include one or more images and a description (e.g., price, color,
size, or features) of the items. In particular embodiments, ranking
engine 105 may rank these items based on a ranking model. As an
example and not by way of limitation, the ranking model may rank
the items based on their inferred relevancy to users associated
with an entity of third-party system 170. As an example and not by
way of limitation, the ranking model may rank the items based on
their inferred relevancy to category of users (e.g., age groups or
geographic location) associated with an entity of third-party
system 170. For each item, the ranking engine may determine a
subset of items using a ranking model based on (1) information
associated with the item (e.g., price, color, size, or features of
the respective item) and (2) information associated with the users
or categories of users associated with third-party entity 170
(e.g., demographic information for the user, the user's location,
or user profile information, or (3) historical information of
interactions by a user or category of users with regard to the
respective item (e.g., number of times an item was placed in a
basket, reading information of the item, reading reviews of the
item, requesting information of the item, placing item on a wish
list, or purchasing the item). In particular embodiments, a subset
of the items provided by third-party system 170 may be identified
by ranking engine 105 based on a value of the ranking model being
higher than a pre-determined threshold value. As an example and not
by way of limitation, the pre-determined threshold value may
correspond to a pre-determined number of items (e.g., 200
items).
In particular embodiments, for each item of the subset identified
by ranking the item, grouping engine 115 may determine a grouping
of a pre-determined number of items (e.g., 4 items) that are
similar to the respective item of the subset. As an example and not
by way of limitation, one of the items in the subset may be a
particular chair. Grouping engine 115 may group other chairs from
the items received from third-party system 170 that may be the same
style as the particular chair, but a different color or made from a
different material. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1,
video-generation engine 120 receives information of the subset of
items and the respective grouped items from ranking engine 105 and
grouping engine 115. In particular embodiments, for each of the
items of the subset, video-generation engine 120 generates a video
incorporating the item from the subset and the respective
pre-determined number of grouped items in accordance with the
template received from third-party system 170. As described above,
the template defines the creative for the video. The generated
videos may be cached in data store 164. and, providing for display
on a client device of a user, a particular one of the videos
selected based on information of the user.
FIG. 2 illustrates example groupings of images. As described in the
example of FIG. 1, the grouping engine 115 identifies product
groupings associated with a particular product of the third-party
system. Information of a subset of the items 202A-202N that are
ranked highest by the ranking engine 105 is sent to the grouping
engine. In particular embodiments, for each of the pre-determined
number of items, the grouping engine 115 identifies a product
grouping of a pre-determined number of products that are similar to
respective item. The grouping engine may identify product groupings
206A-206N of products that are similar to each of the subset of
items in a catalog stored on the third-party system. As an example
and not by way of limitation, one of the items 202A in the subset
may be a particular bed and the grouping engine may identify a
grouping 206A of other beds 204A-K from the items received from
third-party system 170 that may be the same color as the particular
bed 202A, but have a different style or are made from a different
material. As anther example, grouping engine 115 may identify a
group 206C of items that are commonly associated or purchased with
the particular item 202C. For example, users that buy a particular
brand of pasta may also purchase pasta sauce, cheese, or red pepper
flakes along with the pasta. As another example, an entity
associated with the third-party system 170 may want to promote a
group of products 206N for a particular event. For example, around
Thanksgiving, a turkey 202N may be grouped with a pumpkin pie kit
204X, stuffing mix 204H, or mashed potatoes mix 204J. In particular
embodiments, the items included in the groupings (e.g., 206A) may
be items (e.g., 204A) that are not part of the subset of highest
ranked items.
In particular embodiments, groupings of items 206A-206N may be
identified based on a similarity ranking. The similarity ranking
may be based on information associated with the item (e.g., price,
color, size, or features of the respective item). As an example and
not by way of limitation, items of a grouping (e.g., 206A) may be
identified based on determining items that have similar
characteristics (e.g., style or size) as the particular item (e.g.,
202A). In particular embodiments, items in a group may be
identified based on historical information of interactions by a
user or category of users with regard to the respective item (e.g.,
number of times an item was placed in a basket, reading information
of the item, reading reviews of the item, requesting information of
the item, placing item on a wish list, or purchasing the item). As
another example, items of a grouping (e.g., 206B) may be identified
based on determining items that are in a cart of a user that is
looking at a particular item (e.g., 202B). As another example,
items of a grouping (e.g., 206N) may be identified based on input
provided by the entity associated with the third-party system.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example method for automatically generating
videos at scale. The method 300 may begin at step 310, where one or
more computing devices access data of a set of items from a
third-party computing system. In particular embodiments, the
accessed data corresponds to information of items of a product
catalog stored on the third-party system. At step 320, the
computing device identifies a subset of the set of items based on a
value of a ranking model for each identified item being higher than
a pre-determined threshold value. In particular embodiments, the
ranking model may be based on information of a number of user types
(e.g., age, profession, or geographic location). As an example and
not by way of limitation, the computing devices may initially
identify product groupings of 4 products that are similar to 200
items with information stored on the third-party system. At step
330, for each identified item of the subset, the computing device
determines a grouping of a pre-determined number of items from the
set of items. In particular embodiments, the grouping of items of a
pre-determined number of products that are similar to particular
products in the product catalog are identified based on a
similarity ranking. At step 340, the computing device receives a
template for a video from the third-party computing system. In
particular embodiments, an entity creating the videos may select a
video template for personalization that includes information of a
format (e.g., video, multi-image (carousel), or collection). In
addition, the template for videos may specify a Uniform Resource
Locator (URL) associated with the video, one or more call-to-action
(CTA) buttons, provide a narrative for the video, specify a
transition between images, font, background color, or logos.
In particular embodiments, at step 345 the computing device reviews
the information associated with the items and remove items that do
not meet certain standards (e.g., quality or appropriate content).
At step 350, for each of the identified items, the computing device
generates a video incorporating the identified item and the
respective pre-determined number of grouped items in accordance
with the template. In particular embodiments, the computing device
combines the template and the information of the identified items
and the associated grouping of items into a video package to
generate the videos. The video packages may be queued in a video
generation engine.
At step 360, the computing device caches the generated videos. In
particular embodiments, the generated videos are stored in a data
store of a social-networking system. at step 365, the generated
videos are associated with the respective identified items. In
particular embodiments, for items that do not have an associated
video, generation of a video may be triggered after receiving a
pre-determined number of user interactions with one or more items
without an associated video. As an example and not by way of
limitation, a particular item that with a value of the ranking
model below the pre-determined threshold may have a video generated
for that item based on a number of users (e.g., 20 users)
interacting with that item on a product webpage. Cached videos may
be periodically updated or updated in response to receiving updated
items or item information.
At step 370, the computing device provides for display on a client
device of a user, a particular one of the videos selected based on
information of the user. The particular video may be rendered for
the user at the client device. As described below, the computing
system may determine an interest level of the user for the one or
more items. In particular embodiments, if the interest level of the
user is greater than a threshold level, the computing system may
provide the video associated with the item to a client computing
device. In particular embodiments, the computing system may be a
social-networking system, described below, or any suitable
media-hosting or media-distribution system. The interest level may
be determined based on any number of suitable factors. As an
example and not by way of limitation, the interest level may be
based on a duration of time for which the user interacts with a
webpage displaying an item. As another example, the interest level
may be based on an event that the user has indicated interest in,
an event that social graph connections of the user have indicated
interest in, an event the user has signed up for, or an event the
user has purchased admission.
In particular embodiments, the interest level may be determined
based on historical patterns of the user with respect to previous
presentations of the item. Such historical patterns may include
information about how the user behaved when presented with the item
in the past. As an example and not by way of limitation, the
historical patterns may include information of the number of times
an item was placed in a basket, reading information of the item,
reading reviews of the item, requesting information of the item,
placing item on a wish list, or purchasing the item. For example, a
user may frequently place an item was in a virtual shopping cart,
but may have tended to leave an online commerce site without
completing a purchase. As another example, the interest level of an
item may be based on a history of recent purchases by the user or
by social-graph connections of the user. For example, a user may be
more interested in a particular chair if some of the user's
social-graph connections obtained a similar chair. As another
example, the interest level of an item may be based on a history of
stores (e.g., online or brick and mortar) recently visited by the
user or social-graph connections of the user.
In particular embodiments, the interest level may be determined
based on one or more topics associated with the item. The topics
may, for example, correspond to concept or user nodes of a social
graph described below. Topics may be associated with an item based
on information associated with the item (based on, for example,
color, style or price; or text of comments, reshares, or posts on
an online social network associated with the item). In particular
embodiments, the interest level of a user for an item may be
determined by calculating an affinity of the user for topics that
are associated with the item (which may be determined, for example,
based on a degree of separation between a node corresponding to the
user and a node corresponding to the media item on a social graph,
or based on any other suitable social graph information). As an
example and not by way of limitation, a particular user may be
determined to have a high affinity for the topic "cooking" (e.g.,
as determined by the particular user's history of watching videos
related to cooking, liking posts or pages related to cooking
recipes, etc.), in which case, the particular user may be
determined to have a relatively high interest level for items
associated with cooking (e.g., foods or cookware). In particular
embodiments, the interest level may be determined based on
demographical information of the user. In some examples, users of a
particular demographic (e.g., an age group) may share traits that
make them more interested in a particular item than another
demographic. This may be determined based on any suitable study,
such as correlational analyses of historical usage by users of the
particular demographic (e.g., users of an online social network)
with respect to the particular item, related items, or other items
with the same or similar topic. As an example and not by way of
limitation, all else equal, users in the millennials (or Generation
Y) demographic may have a higher interest level for an item
associated with the topic "Pokemon Go" than users in the Generation
X demographic (e.g., because millennials may have a higher affinity
for Pokemon Go).
In particular embodiments, interest level of an item may be based
on an affinity level of the user for the item. In particular
embodiments, the affinity level of the user for an item may be a
measure of an affinity the user has for the item or for other or
more users or entities associated with the item (e.g., users who
liked the item). In particular embodiments, the affinity level may
be based on a measure of affinity the user has for a type of the
item. As an example and not by way of limitation, the user may have
a relatively high affinity for items that are games, in which case,
the affinity level of such an item may be higher than otherwise. In
particular embodiments, the affinity level of the user may be
determined based on a number of degrees of separation between the
first node of the user and a second node associated with the item.
In particular embodiments, the interest level of the user may be
adjusted upward or downward based on the determined affinity level.
As an example and not by way of limitation, if the user has an
affinity level that is greater than a threshold affinity level, the
interest level of the user may be adjusted upward. For example, if
the user has a relatively high affinity level for Gazorpazorp Cola
(e.g., the user may have previously liked content by Gazorpazorp
Cola or a page associated with Gazorpazorp Cola), the interest
level for an item by Gazorpazorp Cola may be adjusted upward. As
another example, if the user has an affinity level that is below a
minimum affinity level (e.g., if the user has previously indicated
a dislike for content by Gazorpazorp Cola), the interest level of
the user may be adjusted downward. In particular embodiments, the
amount of adjustment may be based on the amount by which the
affinity level exceeds the threshold affinity level or by which the
affinity level is below the minimum affinity level. In particular
embodiments, a computing device may consider the user's affinity
level for all potential items when adjusting the interest level. As
an example and not by way of limitation, there may be a grouping of
4 potential items, in which case, a computing system may look at
affinity levels for all items of the grouping. In particular
embodiments, the affinity level for a particular item may be
adjusted based on the user's previous interactions with the
particular item, or a related item. As an example and not by way of
limitation, if the user has already seen the particular item within
the last five hours, the affinity level for particular sponsored
content item (or other sponsored content items by the same
sponsoring entity or user) may be adjusted downward. As another
example and not by way of limitation, if the user previously
indicated a lack of interest in the particular item (or other items
by the same entity or user) by scrolling away from the item or
submitting an input to hide the item, the affinity level of the
particular item may be adjusted downward. In particular
embodiments, the affinity level may not be a measure for simply
adjusting the interest level of the user, but may be an additional
and independent factor in determining whether to present a video
featuring an item. In particular embodiments, if the interest level
of item for the user is greater than a threshold interest level, a
computing device may send, to a client computing device, a cached
video associated with the item, as described above.
Particular embodiments may repeat one or more steps of the method
of FIG. 3, where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes
and illustrates particular steps of the method of FIG. 3 as
occurring in a particular order, this disclosure contemplates any
suitable steps of the method of FIG. 3 occurring in any suitable
order. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates
an example method for automatically generating videos at scale
including the particular steps of the method of FIG. 3, this
disclosure contemplates any suitable method for automatically
generating videos at scale including any suitable steps, which may
include all, some, or none of the steps of the method of FIG. 3,
where appropriate. Furthermore, although this disclosure describes
and illustrates particular components, devices, or systems carrying
out particular steps of the method of FIG. 3, this disclosure
contemplates any suitable combination of any suitable components,
devices, or systems carrying out any suitable steps of the method
of FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example network environment associated with a
social-networking system. Network environment 400 includes a client
system 430, a social-networking system 460, and a third-party
system 170 connected to each other by a network 110. Although FIG.
4 illustrates a particular arrangement of client system 430,
social-networking system 460, third-party system 170, and network
110, this disclosure contemplates any suitable arrangement of
client system 430, social-networking system 460, third-party system
170, and network 110. As an example and not by way of limitation,
two or more of client system 430, social-networking system 460, and
third-party system 170 may be connected to each other directly,
bypassing network 110. As another example, two or more of client
system 430, social-networking system 460, and third-party system
170 may be physically or logically co-located with each other in
whole or in part. Moreover, although FIG. 4 illustrates a
particular number of client systems 430, social-networking systems
460, third-party systems 170, and networks 110, this disclosure
contemplates any suitable number of client systems 430,
social-networking systems 460, third-party systems 170, and
networks 110. As an example and not by way of limitation, network
environment 400 may include multiple client system 430,
social-networking systems 460, third-party systems 170, and
networks 110.
This disclosure contemplates any suitable network 110. As an
example and not by way of limitation, one or more portions of
network 110 may include an ad hoc network, an intranet, an
extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network
(LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless
WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the
Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN), a cellular telephone network, or a combination of two or
more of these. Network 110 may include one or more networks
110.
Links 150 may connect client system 430, social-networking system
460, and third-party system 170 to communication network 110 or to
each other. This disclosure contemplates any suitable links 150. In
particular embodiments, one or more links 150 include one or more
wireline (such as for example Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or Data
Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)), wireless
(such as for example Wi-Fi or Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access (WiMAX)), or optical (such as for example
Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) or Synchronous Digital
Hierarchy (SDH)) links. In particular embodiments, one or more
links 150 each include an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet,
a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, a WWAN, a MAN, a portion of the
Internet, a portion of the PSTN, a cellular technology-based
network, a satellite communications technology-based network,
another link 150, or a combination of two or more such links 150.
Links 150 need not necessarily be the same throughout network
environment 400. One or more first links 150 may differ in one or
more respects from one or more second links 450.
In particular embodiments, client system 430 may be an electronic
device including hardware, software, or embedded logic components
or a combination of two or more such components and capable of
carrying out the appropriate functionalities implemented or
supported by client system 430. As an example and not by way of
limitation, a client system 430 may include a computer system such
as a desktop computer, notebook or laptop computer, netbook, a
tablet computer, e-book reader, GPS device, camera, personal
digital assistant (PDA), handheld electronic device, cellular
telephone, smartphone, augmented/virtual reality device, other
suitable electronic device, or any suitable combination thereof.
This disclosure contemplates any suitable client systems 430. A
client system 430 may enable a network user at client system 430 to
access network 110. A client system 430 may enable its user to
communicate with other users at other client systems 430.
In particular embodiments, client system 430 may include a web
browser 432, such as MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER, GOOGLE CHROME or
MOZILLA FIREFOX, and may have one or more add-ons, plug-ins, or
other extensions, such as TOOLBAR or YAHOO TOOLBAR. A user at
client system 430 may enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or
other address directing the web browser 432 to a particular server
(such as server 462, or a server associated with a third-party
system 170), and the web browser 432 may generate a Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request and communicate the HTTP request
to server. The server may accept the HTTP request and communicate
to client system 430 one or more Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML)
files responsive to the HTTP request. Client system 430 may render
a webpage based on the HTML files from the server for presentation
to the user. This disclosure contemplates any suitable webpage
files. As an example and not by way of limitation, webpages may
render from HTML files, Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language
(XHTML) files, or Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, according
to particular needs. Such pages may also execute scripts such as,
for example and without limitation, those written in JAVASCRIPT,
JAVA, MICROSOFT SILVERLIGHT, combinations of markup language and
scripts such as AJAX (Asynchronous JAVASCRIPT and XML), and the
like. Herein, reference to a webpage encompasses one or more
corresponding webpage files (which a browser may use to render the
webpage) and vice versa, where appropriate.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may be a
network-addressable computing system that can host an online social
network. Social-networking system 460 may generate, store, receive,
and send social-networking data, such as, for example, user-profile
data, concept-profile data, social-graph information, or other
suitable data related to the online social network.
Social-networking system 460 may be accessed by the other
components of network environment 400 either directly or via
network 110. As an example and not by way of limitation, client
system 430 may access social-networking system 460 using a web
browser 432, or a native application associated with
social-networking system 460 (e.g., a mobile social-networking
application, a messaging application, another suitable application,
or any combination thereof) either directly or via network 110. In
particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may include
one or more servers 462. Each server 462 may be a unitary server or
a distributed server spanning multiple computers or multiple
datacenters. Servers 462 may be of various types, such as, for
example and without limitation, web server, news server, mail
server, message server, advertising server, file server,
application server, exchange server, database server, proxy server,
another server suitable for performing functions or processes
described herein, or any combination thereof. In particular
embodiments, each server 462 may include hardware, software, or
embedded logic components or a combination of two or more such
components for carrying out the appropriate functionalities
implemented or supported by server 462. In particular embodiments,
social-networking system 460 may include one or more data stores
164. Data stores 164 may be used to store various types of
information. In particular embodiments, the information stored in
data stores 164 may be organized according to specific data
structures. In particular embodiments, each data store 164 may be a
relational, columnar, correlation, or other suitable database.
Although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular types
of databases, this disclosure contemplates any suitable types of
databases. Particular embodiments may provide interfaces that
enable a client system 430, a social-networking system 460, or a
third-party system 170 to manage, retrieve, modify, add, or delete,
the information stored in data store 164.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may store
one or more social graphs in one or more data stores 164. In
particular embodiments, a social graph may include multiple
nodes--which may include multiple user nodes (each corresponding to
a particular user) or multiple concept nodes (each corresponding to
a particular concept)--and multiple edges connecting the nodes.
Social-networking system 460 may provide users of the online social
network the ability to communicate and interact with other users.
In particular embodiments, users may join the online social network
via social-networking system 460 and then add connections (e.g.,
relationships) to a number of other users of social-networking
system 460 to whom they want to be connected. Herein, the term
"friend" may refer to any other user of social-networking system
460 with whom a user has formed a connection, association, or
relationship via social-networking system 460.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may provide
users with the ability to take actions on various types of items or
objects, supported by social-networking system 460. As an example
and not by way of limitation, the items and objects may include
groups or social networks to which users of social-networking
system 460 may belong, events or calendar entries in which a user
might be interested, computer-based applications that a user may
use, transactions that allow users to buy or sell items via the
service, interactions with advertisements that a user may perform,
or other suitable items or objects. A user may interact with
anything that is capable of being represented in social-networking
system 460 or by an external system of third-party system 170,
which is separate from social-networking system 460 and coupled to
social-networking system 460 via a network 110.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may be
capable of linking a variety of entities. As an example and not by
way of limitation, social-networking system 460 may enable users to
interact with each other as well as receive content from
third-party systems 170 or other entities, or to allow users to
interact with these entities through an application programming
interfaces (API) or other communication channels.
In particular embodiments, a third-party system 170 may include one
or more types of servers, one or more data stores, one or more
interfaces, including but not limited to APIs, one or more web
services, one or more content sources, one or more networks, or any
other suitable components, e.g., that servers may communicate with.
A third-party system 170 may be operated by a different entity from
an entity operating social-networking system 460. In particular
embodiments, however, social-networking system 460 and third-party
systems 170 may operate in conjunction with each other to provide
social-networking services to users of social-networking system 460
or third-party systems 170. In this sense, social-networking system
460 may provide a platform, or backbone, which other systems, such
as third-party systems 170, may use to provide social-networking
services and functionality to users across the Internet.
In particular embodiments, a third-party system 170 may include a
third-party content object provider. A third-party content object
provider may include one or more sources of content objects, which
may be communicated to a client system 430. As an example and not
by way of limitation, content objects may include information
regarding things or activities of interest to the user, such as,
for example, movie show times, movie reviews, restaurant reviews,
restaurant menus, product information and reviews, or other
suitable information. As another example and not by way of
limitation, content objects may include incentive content objects,
such as coupons, discount tickets, gift certificates, or other
suitable incentive objects.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 also
includes user-generated content objects, which may enhance a user's
interactions with social-networking system 460. User-generated
content may include anything a user can add, upload, send, or
"post" to social-networking system 460. As an example and not by
way of limitation, a user communicates posts to social-networking
system 460 from a client system 430. Posts may include data such as
status updates or other textual data, location information, photos,
videos, links, music or other similar data or media. Content may
also be added to social-networking system 460 by a third-party
through a "communication channel," such as a newsfeed or
stream.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may include
a variety of servers, sub-systems, programs, modules, logs, and
data stores. In particular embodiments, social-networking system
460 may include one or more of the following: a web server, action
logger, API-request server, relevance-and-ranking engine,
content-object classifier, notification controller, action log,
third-party-content-object-exposure log, inference module,
authorization/privacy server, search module,
advertisement-targeting module, user-interface module, user-profile
store, connection store, third-party content store, or location
store. Social-networking system 460 may also include suitable
components such as network interfaces, security mechanisms, load
balancers, failover servers, management-and-network-operations
consoles, other suitable components, or any suitable combination
thereof. In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460
may include one or more user-profile stores for storing user
profiles. A user profile may include, for example, biographic
information, demographic information, behavioral information,
social information, or other types of descriptive information, such
as work experience, educational history, hobbies or preferences,
interests, affinities, or location. Interest information may
include interests related to one or more categories. Categories may
be general or specific. As an example and not by way of limitation,
if a user "likes" an article about a brand of shoes the category
may be the brand, or the general category of "shoes" or "clothing."
A connection store may be used for storing connection information
about users. The connection information may indicate users who have
similar or common work experience, group memberships, hobbies,
educational history, or are in any way related or share common
attributes. The connection information may also include
user-defined connections between different users and content (both
internal and external). A web server may be used for linking
social-networking system 460 to one or more client systems 430 or
one or more third-party system 170 via network 110. The web server
may include a mail server or other messaging functionality for
receiving and routing messages between social-networking system 460
and one or more client systems 430. An API-request server may allow
a third-party system 170 to access information from
social-networking system 460 by calling one or more APIs. An action
logger may be used to receive communications from a web server
about a user's actions on or off social-networking system 460. In
conjunction with the action log, a third-party-content-object log
may be maintained of user exposures to third-party-content objects.
A notification controller may provide information regarding content
objects to a client system 430. Information may be pushed to a
client system 430 as notifications, or information may be pulled
from client system 430 responsive to a request received from client
system 430. Authorization servers may be used to enforce one or
more privacy settings of the users of social-networking system 460.
A privacy setting of a user determines how particular information
associated with a user can be shared. The authorization server may
allow users to opt in to or opt out of having their actions logged
by social-networking system 460 or shared with other systems (e.g.,
third-party system 170), such as, for example, by setting
appropriate privacy settings. Third-party-content-object stores may
be used to store content objects received from third parties, such
as a third-party system 170. Location stores may be used for
storing location information received from client systems 430
associated with users. Advertisement-pricing modules may combine
social information, the current time, location information, or
other suitable information to provide relevant advertisements, in
the form of notifications, to a user.
In particular embodiments, one or more of the content objects of
the online social network may be associated with a privacy setting.
The privacy settings (or "access settings") for an object may be
stored in any suitable manner, such as, for example, in association
with the object, in an index on an authorization server, in another
suitable manner, or any combination thereof. A privacy setting of
an object may specify how the object (or particular information
associated with an object) can be accessed (e.g., viewed or shared)
using the online social network. Where the privacy settings for an
object allow a particular user to access that object, the object
may be described as being "visible" with respect to that user. As
an example and not by way of limitation, a user of the online
social network may specify privacy settings for a user-profile page
that identify a set of users that may access the work experience
information on the user-profile page, thus excluding other users
from accessing the information. In particular embodiments, the
privacy settings may specify a "blocked list" of users that should
not be allowed to access certain information associated with the
object. In other words, the blocked list may specify one or more
users or entities for which an object is not visible. As an example
and not by way of limitation, a user may specify a set of users
that may not access photos albums associated with the user, thus
excluding those users from accessing the photo albums (while also
possibly allowing certain users not within the set of users to
access the photo albums). In particular embodiments, privacy
settings may be associated with particular social-graph elements.
Privacy settings of a social-graph element, such as a node or an
edge, may specify how the social-graph element, information
associated with the social-graph element, or content objects
associated with the social-graph element can be accessed using the
online social network. As an example and not by way of limitation,
a particular concept node corresponding to a particular photo may
have a privacy setting specifying that the photo may only be
accessed by users tagged in the photo and their friends. In
particular embodiments, privacy settings may allow users to opt in
or opt out of having their actions logged by social-networking
system 460 or shared with other systems (e.g., third-party system
170). In particular embodiments, the privacy settings associated
with an object may specify any suitable granularity of permitted
access or denial of access. As an example and not by way of
limitation, access or denial of access may be specified for
particular users (e.g., only me, my roommates, and my boss), users
within a particular degrees-of-separation (e.g., friends, or
friends-of-friends), user groups (e.g., the gaming club, my
family), user networks (e.g., employees of particular employers,
students or alumni of particular university), all users ("public"),
no users ("private"), users of third-party systems 170, particular
applications (e.g., third-party applications, external websites),
other suitable users or entities, or any combination thereof.
Although this disclosure describes using particular privacy
settings in a particular manner, this disclosure contemplates using
any suitable privacy settings in any suitable manner.
In particular embodiments, one or more servers 462 may be
authorization/privacy servers for enforcing privacy settings. In
response to a request from a user (or other entity) for a
particular object stored in a data store 164, social-networking
system 460 may send a request to the data store 164 for the object.
The request may identify the user associated with the request and
may only be sent to the user (or a client system 430 of the user)
if the authorization server determines that the user is authorized
to access the object based on the privacy settings associated with
the object. If the requesting user is not authorized to access the
object, the authorization server may prevent the requested object
from being retrieved from the data store 164, or may prevent the
requested object from being sent to the user. In the search query
context, an object may only be generated as a search result if the
querying user is authorized to access the object. In other words,
the object must have a visibility that is visible to the querying
user. If the object has a visibility that is not visible to the
user, the object may be excluded from the search results. Although
this disclosure describes enforcing privacy settings in a
particular manner, this disclosure contemplates enforcing privacy
settings in any suitable manner.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example social graph. In particular
embodiments, social-networking system 460 may store one or more
social graphs 500 in one or more data stores. In particular
embodiments, social graph 500 may include multiple nodes--which may
include multiple user nodes 502 or multiple concept nodes 504--and
multiple edges 506 connecting the nodes. Each node may be
associated with a unique entity (i.e., user or concept), each of
which may have a unique identifier (ID), such as a unique number or
username. Example social graph 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 is shown,
for didactic purposes, in a two-dimensional visual map
representation. In particular embodiments, a social-networking
system 460, client system 430, or third-party system 170 may access
social graph 500 and related social-graph information for suitable
applications. The nodes and edges of social graph 500 may be stored
as data objects, for example, in a data store (such as a
social-graph database). Such a data store may include one or more
searchable or queryable indexes of nodes or edges of social graph
500.
In particular embodiments, a user node 502 may correspond to a user
of social-networking system 460. As an example and not by way of
limitation, a user may be an individual (human user), an entity
(e.g., an enterprise, business, or third-party application), or a
group (e.g., of individuals or entities) that interacts or
communicates with or over social-networking system 460. In
particular embodiments, when a user registers for an account with
social-networking system 460, social-networking system 460 may
create a user node 502 corresponding to the user, and store the
user node 502 in one or more data stores. Users and user nodes 502
described herein may, where appropriate, refer to registered users
and user nodes 502 associated with registered users. In addition or
as an alternative, users and user nodes 502 described herein may,
where appropriate, refer to users that have not registered with
social-networking system 460. In particular embodiments, a user
node 502 may be associated with information provided by a user or
information gathered by various systems, including
social-networking system 460. As an example and not by way of
limitation, a user may provide his or her name, profile picture,
contact information, birth date, sex, marital status, family
status, employment, education background, preferences, interests,
or other demographic information. In particular embodiments, a user
node 502 may be associated with one or more data objects
corresponding to information associated with a user. In particular
embodiments, a user node 502 may correspond to one or more
webpages.
In particular embodiments, a concept node 504 may correspond to a
concept. As an example and not by way of limitation, a concept may
correspond to a place (such as, for example, a movie theater,
restaurant, landmark, or city); a website (such as, for example, a
website associated with social-network system 460 or a third-party
website associated with a web-application server); an entity (such
as, for example, a person, business, group, sports team, or
celebrity); a resource (such as, for example, an audio file, video
file, digital photo, text file, structured document, or
application) which may be located within social-networking system
460 or on an external server, such as a web-application server;
real or intellectual property (such as, for example, a sculpture,
painting, movie, game, song, idea, photograph, or written work); a
game; an activity; an idea or theory; an object in a
augmented/virtual reality environment; another suitable concept; or
two or more such concepts. A concept node 504 may be associated
with information of a concept provided by a user or information
gathered by various systems, including social-networking system
460. As an example and not by way of limitation, information of a
concept may include a name or a title; one or more images (e.g., an
image of the cover page of a book); a location (e.g., an address or
a geographical location); a website (which may be associated with a
URL); contact information (e.g., a phone number or an email
address); other suitable concept information; or any suitable
combination of such information. In particular embodiments, a
concept node 504 may be associated with one or more data objects
corresponding to information associated with concept node 504. In
particular embodiments, a concept node 504 may correspond to one or
more webpages.
In particular embodiments, a node in social graph 500 may represent
or be represented by a webpage (which may be referred to as a
"profile page"). Profile pages may be hosted by or accessible to
social-networking system 460. Profile pages may also be hosted on
third-party websites associated with a third-party system 170. As
an example and not by way of limitation, a profile page
corresponding to a particular external webpage may be the
particular external webpage and the profile page may correspond to
a particular concept node 504. Profile pages may be viewable by all
or a selected subset of other users. As an example and not by way
of limitation, a user node 502 may have a corresponding
user-profile page in which the corresponding user may add content,
make declarations, or otherwise express himself or herself. As
another example and not by way of limitation, a concept node 504
may have a corresponding concept-profile page in which one or more
users may add content, make declarations, or express themselves,
particularly in relation to the concept corresponding to concept
node 504.
In particular embodiments, a concept node 504 may represent a
third-party webpage or resource hosted by a third-party system 170.
The third-party webpage or resource may include, among other
elements, content, a selectable or other icon, or other
inter-actable object (which may be implemented, for example, in
JavaScript, AJAX, or PHP codes) representing an action or activity.
As an example and not by way of limitation, a third-party webpage
may include a selectable icon such as "like," "check-in," "eat,"
"recommend," or another suitable action or activity. A user viewing
the third-party webpage may perform an action by selecting one of
the icons (e.g., "check-in"), causing a client system 430 to send
to social-networking system 460 a message indicating the user's
action. In response to the message, social-networking system 460
may create an edge (e.g., a check-in-type edge) between a user node
502 corresponding to the user and a concept node 504 corresponding
to the third-party webpage or resource and store edge 506 in one or
more data stores.
In particular embodiments, a pair of nodes in social graph 500 may
be connected to each other by one or more edges 506. An edge 506
connecting a pair of nodes may represent a relationship between the
pair of nodes. In particular embodiments, an edge 506 may include
or represent one or more data objects or attributes corresponding
to the relationship between a pair of nodes. As an example and not
by way of limitation, a first user may indicate that a second user
is a "friend" of the first user. In response to this indication,
social-networking system 460 may send a "friend request" to the
second user. If the second user confirms the "friend request,"
social-networking system 460 may create an edge 506 connecting the
first user's user node 502 to the second user's user node 502 in
social graph 500 and store edge 506 as social-graph information in
one or more of data stores 164. In the example of FIG. 5, social
graph 500 includes an edge 506 indicating a friend relation between
user nodes 502 of user "A" and user "B" and an edge indicating a
friend relation between user nodes 502 of user "C" and user "B."
Although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular edges
506 with particular attributes connecting particular user nodes
502, this disclosure contemplates any suitable edges 506 with any
suitable attributes connecting user nodes 502. As an example and
not by way of limitation, an edge 506 may represent a friendship,
family relationship, business or employment relationship, fan
relationship (including, e.g., liking, etc.), follower
relationship, visitor relationship (including, e.g., accessing,
viewing, checking-in, sharing, etc.), subscriber relationship,
superior/subordinate relationship, reciprocal relationship,
non-reciprocal relationship, another suitable type of relationship,
or two or more such relationships. Moreover, although this
disclosure generally describes nodes as being connected, this
disclosure also describes users or concepts as being connected.
Herein, references to users or concepts being connected may, where
appropriate, refer to the nodes corresponding to those users or
concepts being connected in social graph 500 by one or more edges
506. The degree of separation between two objects represented by
two nodes, respectively, is a count of edges in a shortest path
connecting the two nodes in the social graph 500. As an example and
not by way of limitation, in the social graph 500, the user node
502 of user "C" is connected to the user node 502 of user "A" via
multiple paths including, for example, a first path directly
passing through the user node 502 of user "B," a second path
passing through the concept node 504 of company "Acme" and the user
node 502 of user "D," and a third path passing through the user
nodes 502 and concept nodes 504 representing school "Stanford,"
user "G," company "Acme," and user "D." User "C" and user "A" have
a degree of separation of two because the shortest path connecting
their corresponding nodes (i.e., the first path) includes two edges
506.
In particular embodiments, an edge 506 between a user node 502 and
a concept node 504 may represent a particular action or activity
performed by a user associated with user node 502 toward a concept
associated with a concept node 504. As an example and not by way of
limitation, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a user may "like,"
"attended," "played," "listened," "cooked," "worked at," or
"watched" a concept, each of which may correspond to an edge type
or subtype. A concept-profile page corresponding to a concept node
504 may include, for example, a selectable "check in" icon (such
as, for example, a clickable "check in" icon) or a selectable "add
to favorites" icon. Similarly, after a user clicks these icons,
social-networking system 460 may create a "favorite" edge or a
"check in" edge in response to a user's action corresponding to a
respective action. As another example and not by way of limitation,
a user (user "C") may listen to a particular song ("Imagine") using
a particular application (an online music application). In this
case, social-networking system 460 may create a "listened" edge 506
and a "used" edge (as illustrated in FIG. 5) between user nodes 502
corresponding to the user and concept nodes 504 corresponding to
the song and application to indicate that the user listened to the
song and used the application. Moreover, social-networking system
460 may create a "played" edge 506 (as illustrated in FIG. 5)
between concept nodes 504 corresponding to the song and the
application to indicate that the particular song was played by the
particular application. In this case, "played" edge 506 corresponds
to an action performed by an external application on an external
audio file (the song "Imagine"). Although this disclosure describes
particular edges 506 with particular attributes connecting user
nodes 502 and concept nodes 504, this disclosure contemplates any
suitable edges 506 with any suitable attributes connecting user
nodes 502 and concept nodes 504. Moreover, although this disclosure
describes edges between a user node 502 and a concept node 504
representing a single relationship, this disclosure contemplates
edges between a user node 502 and a concept node 504 representing
one or more relationships. As an example and not by way of
limitation, an edge 506 may represent both that a user likes and
has used at a particular concept. Alternatively, another edge 506
may represent each type of relationship (or multiples of a single
relationship) between a user node 502 and a concept node 504 (as
illustrated in FIG. 5 between user node 502 for user "E" and
concept node 504).
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may create
an edge 506 between a user node 502 and a concept node 504 in
social graph 500. As an example and not by way of limitation, a
user viewing a concept-profile page (such as, for example, by using
a web browser or a special-purpose application hosted by the user's
client system 430) may indicate that he or she likes the concept
represented by the concept node 504 by clicking or selecting a
"Like" icon, which may cause the user's client system 130 to send
to social-networking system 460 a message indicating the user's
liking of the concept associated with the concept-profile page. In
response to the message, social-networking system 460 may create an
edge 506 between user node 502 associated with the user and concept
node 504, as illustrated by "like" edge 506 between the user and
concept node 504. In particular embodiments, social-networking
system 460 may store an edge 506 in one or more data stores. In
particular embodiments, an edge 506 may be automatically formed by
social-networking system 460 in response to a particular user
action. As an example and not by way of limitation, if a first user
uploads a picture, watches a movie, or listens to a song, an edge
506 may be formed between user node 502 corresponding to the first
user and concept nodes 504 corresponding to those concepts.
Although this disclosure describes forming particular edges 506 in
particular manners, this disclosure contemplates forming any
suitable edges 506 in any suitable manner.
In particular embodiments, an advertisement may be requested for
display within social-networking-system webpages, third-party
webpages, or other pages. An advertisement may be displayed in a
dedicated portion of a page, such as in a banner area at the top of
the page, in a column at the side of the page, in a GUI of the
page, in a pop-up window, in a drop-down menu, in an input field of
the page, over the top of content of the page, or elsewhere with
respect to the page. In addition or as an alternative, an
advertisement may be displayed within an application. An
advertisement may be displayed within dedicated pages, requiring
the user to interact with or watch the advertisement before the
user may access a page or utilize an application. The user may, for
example view the advertisement through a web browser.
A user may interact with an advertisement in any suitable manner.
The user may click or otherwise select the advertisement. By
selecting the advertisement, the user may be directed to (or a
browser or other application being used by the user) a page
associated with the advertisement. At the page associated with the
advertisement, the user may take additional actions, such as
purchasing a product or service associated with the advertisement,
receiving information associated with the advertisement, or
subscribing to a newsletter associated with the advertisement. An
advertisement with audio or video may be played by selecting a
component of the advertisement (like a "play button").
Alternatively, by selecting the advertisement, social-networking
system 460 may execute or modify a particular action of the
user.
An advertisement may also include social-networking-system
functionality that a user may interact with. As an example and not
by way of limitation, an advertisement may enable a user to "like"
or otherwise endorse the advertisement by selecting an icon or link
associated with endorsement. As another example and not by way of
limitation, an advertisement may enable a user to search (e.g., by
executing a query) for content related to the advertiser.
Similarly, a user may share the advertisement with another user
(e.g., through social-networking system 460) or RSVP (e.g., through
social-networking system 460) to an event associated with the
advertisement. In addition or as an alternative, an advertisement
may include social-networking-system content directed to the user.
As an example and not by way of limitation, an advertisement may
display information about a friend of the user within
social-networking system 460 who has taken an action associated
with the subject matter of the advertisement.
Particular embodiments may facilitate the delivery of
advertisements to users that are more likely to find the
advertisements more relevant or useful. For example, an advertiser
may realize higher conversion rates (and therefore higher return on
investment (ROI) from advertising) by identifying and targeting
users that are more likely to find its advertisements more relevant
or useful. The advertiser may use user-profile information in
social-networking system 460 to identify those users. In addition
or as an alternative, social-networking system 460 may use
user-profile information in social-networking system 460 to
identify those users for the advertiser. As examples and not by way
of limitation, particular embodiments may target users with the
following: invitations or suggestions of events; suggestions
regarding coupons, deals, or wish-list items; suggestions regarding
friends' life events; suggestions regarding groups; advertisements;
or social advertisements. Such targeting may occur, where
appropriate, on or within social-networking system 460, off or
outside of social-networking system 460, or on mobile computing
devices of users. When on or within social-networking system 460,
such targeting may be directed to users' news feeds, search
results, e-mail or other in-boxes, or notifications channels or may
appear in particular area of web pages of social-networking system
460, such as a right-hand side of a web page in a concierge or
grouper area (which may group along a right-hand rail
advertisements associated with the same concept, node, or object)
or a network-ego area (which may be based on what a user is viewing
on the web page and a current news feed of the user). When off or
outside of social-networking system 460, such targeting may be
provided through a third-party website, e.g., involving an ad
exchange or a social plug-in. When on a mobile computing device of
a user, such targeting may be provided through push notifications
to the mobile computing device.
Targeting criteria used to identify and target users may include
explicit, stated user interests on social-networking system 460 or
explicit connections of a user to a node, object, entity, brand, or
page on social-networking system 460. In addition or as an
alternative, such targeting criteria may include implicit or
inferred user interests or connections (which may include analyzing
a user's history, demographic, social or other activities, friends'
social or other activities, subscriptions, or any of the preceding
of other users similar to the user (based, e.g., on shared
interests, connections, or events)). Particular embodiments may
utilize platform targeting, which may involve platform and "like"
impression data; contextual signals; light-weight connections
(e.g., "check-ins"); connection lookalikes; fans; extracted
keywords; EMU advertising; inferential advertising; coefficients,
affinities, or other social-graph information; friends-of-friends
connections; pinning or boosting; deals; polls; household income,
social clusters or groups; products detected in images or other
media; social- or open-graph edge types; geo-prediction; views of
profile or pages; status updates or other user posts (analysis of
which may involve natural-language processing or keyword
extraction); events information; or collaborative filtering.
Identifying and targeting users may also include privacy settings
(such as user opt-outs), data hashing, or data anonymization, as
appropriate.
To target users with advertisements, particular embodiments may
utilize one or more systems, components, elements, functions,
methods, operations, or steps disclosed in the following, which are
all incorporated herein by reference as examples and not by way of
limitation: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0119167,
entitled "Social Advertisements and Other Informational Messages on
a Social Networking Website and Advertising Model for Same" and
filed 18 Aug. 2008 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/193,702;
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0070219, entitled
"Targeting Advertisements in a Social Network" and filed 20 Aug.
2008 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/195,321; U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2012/0158501, entitled "Targeting
Social Advertising to Friends of Users Who Have Interacted With an
Object Associated with the Advertising" and filed 15 Dec. 2010 as
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/968,786; or U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2012/0166532, entitled "Contextually
Relevant Affinity Prediction in a Social-Networking System" and
filed 23 Dec. 2010 as U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/978,265.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may
determine the social-graph affinity (which may be referred to
herein as "affinity") of various social-graph entities for each
other. Affinity may represent the strength of a relationship or
level of interest between particular objects associated with the
online social network, such as users, concepts, content, actions,
advertisements, other objects associated with the online social
network, or any suitable combination thereof. Affinity may also be
determined with respect to objects associated with third-party
systems 170 or other suitable systems. An overall affinity for a
social-graph entity for each user, subject matter, or type of
content may be established. The overall affinity may change based
on continued monitoring of the actions or relationships associated
with the social-graph entity. Although this disclosure describes
determining particular affinities in a particular manner, this
disclosure contemplates determining any suitable affinities in any
suitable manner.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may measure
or quantify social-graph affinity using an affinity coefficient
(which may be referred to herein as "coefficient"). The coefficient
may represent or quantify the strength of a relationship between
particular objects associated with the online social network. The
coefficient may also represent a probability or function that
measures a predicted probability that a user will perform a
particular action based on the user's interest in the action. In
this way, a user's future actions may be predicted based on the
user's prior actions, where the coefficient may be calculated at
least in part on the history of the user's actions. Coefficients
may be used to predict any number of actions, which may be within
or outside of the online social network. As an example and not by
way of limitation, these actions may include various types of
communications, such as sending messages, posting content, or
commenting on content; various types of observation actions, such
as accessing or viewing profile pages, media, or other suitable
content; various types of coincidence information about two or more
social-graph entities, such as being in the same group, tagged in
the same photograph, checked-in at the same location, or attending
the same event; or other suitable actions. Although this disclosure
describes measuring affinity in a particular manner, this
disclosure contemplates measuring affinity in any suitable
manner.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may use a
variety of factors to calculate a coefficient. These factors may
include, for example, user actions, types of relationships between
objects, location information, other suitable factors, or any
combination thereof. In particular embodiments, different factors
may be weighted differently when calculating the coefficient. The
weights for each factor may be static or the weights may change
according to, for example, the user, the type of relationship, the
type of action, the user's location, and so forth. Ratings for the
factors may be combined according to their weights to determine an
overall coefficient for the user. As an example and not by way of
limitation, particular user actions may be assigned both a rating
and a weight while a relationship associated with the particular
user action is assigned a rating and a correlating weight (e.g., so
the weights total 100%). To calculate the coefficient of a user
towards a particular object, the rating assigned to the user's
actions may comprise, for example, 60% of the overall coefficient,
while the relationship between the user and the object may comprise
40% of the overall coefficient. In particular embodiments, the
social-networking system 460 may consider a variety of variables
when determining weights for various factors used to calculate a
coefficient, such as, for example, the time since information was
accessed, decay factors, frequency of access, relationship to
information or relationship to the object about which information
was accessed, relationship to social-graph entities connected to
the object, short- or long-term averages of user actions, user
feedback, other suitable variables, or any combination thereof. As
an example and not by way of limitation, a coefficient may include
a decay factor that causes the strength of the signal provided by
particular actions to decay with time, such that more recent
actions are more relevant when calculating the coefficient. The
ratings and weights may be continuously updated based on continued
tracking of the actions upon which the coefficient is based. Any
type of process or algorithm may be employed for assigning,
combining, averaging, and so forth the ratings for each factor and
the weights assigned to the factors. In particular embodiments,
social-networking system &60 may determine coefficients using
machine-learning algorithms trained on historical actions and past
user responses, or data farmed from users by exposing them to
various options and measuring responses. Although this disclosure
describes calculating coefficients in a particular manner, this
disclosure contemplates calculating coefficients in any suitable
manner.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may
calculate a coefficient based on a user's actions.
Social-networking system 460 may monitor such actions on the online
social network, on a third-party system 170, on other suitable
systems, or any combination thereof. Any suitable type of user
actions may be tracked or monitored. Typical user actions include
viewing profile pages, creating or posting content, interacting
with content, tagging or being tagged in images, joining groups,
listing and confirming attendance at events, checking-in at
locations, liking particular pages, creating pages, and performing
other tasks that facilitate social action. In particular
embodiments, social-networking system 460 may calculate a
coefficient based on the user's actions with particular types of
content. The content may be associated with the online social
network, a third-party system 170, or another suitable system. The
content may include users, profile pages, posts, news stories,
headlines, instant messages, chat room conversations, emails,
advertisements, pictures, video, music, other suitable objects, or
any combination thereof. Social-networking system 460 may analyze a
user's actions to determine whether one or more of the actions
indicate an affinity for subject matter, content, other users, and
so forth. As an example and not by way of limitation, if a user
frequently posts content related to "coffee" or variants thereof,
social-networking system 460 may determine the user has a high
coefficient with respect to the concept "coffee". Particular
actions or types of actions may be assigned a higher weight and/or
rating than other actions, which may affect the overall calculated
coefficient. As an example and not by way of limitation, if a first
user emails a second user, the weight or the rating for the action
may be higher than if the first user simply views the user-profile
page for the second user.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may
calculate a coefficient based on the type of relationship between
particular objects. Referencing the social graph 500,
social-networking system 460 may analyze the number and/or type of
edges 506 connecting particular user nodes 502 and concept nodes
504 when calculating a coefficient. As an example and not by way of
limitation, user nodes 502 that are connected by a spouse-type edge
(representing that the two users are married) may be assigned a
higher coefficient than a user nodes 502 that are connected by a
friend-type edge. In other words, depending upon the weights
assigned to the actions and relationships for the particular user,
the overall affinity may be determined to be higher for content
about the user's spouse than for content about the user's friend.
In particular embodiments, the relationships a user has with
another object may affect the weights and/or the ratings of the
user's actions with respect to calculating the coefficient for that
object. As an example and not by way of limitation, if a user is
tagged in a first photo, but merely likes a second photo,
social-networking system 460 may determine that the user has a
higher coefficient with respect to the first photo than the second
photo because having a tagged-in-type relationship with content may
be assigned a higher weight and/or rating than having a like-type
relationship with content. In particular embodiments,
social-networking system &60 may calculate a coefficient for a
first user based on the relationship one or more second users have
with a particular object. In other words, the connections and
coefficients other users have with an object may affect the first
user's coefficient for the object. As an example and not by way of
limitation, if a first user is connected to or has a high
coefficient for one or more second users, and those second users
are connected to or have a high coefficient for a particular
object, social-networking system 460 may determine that the first
user should also have a relatively high coefficient for the
particular object. In particular embodiments, the coefficient may
be based on the degree of separation between particular objects.
The lower coefficient may represent the decreasing likelihood that
the first user will share an interest in content objects of the
user that is indirectly connected to the first user in the social
graph 500. As an example and not by way of limitation, social-graph
entities that are closer in the social graph 500 (i.e., fewer
degrees of separation) may have a higher coefficient than entities
that are further apart in the social graph 500.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may
calculate a coefficient based on location information. Objects that
are geographically closer to each other may be considered to be
more related or of more interest to each other than more distant
objects. In particular embodiments, the coefficient of a user
towards a particular object may be based on the proximity of the
object's location to a current location associated with the user
(or the location of a client system 130 of the user). A first user
may be more interested in other users or concepts that are closer
to the first user. As an example and not by way of limitation, if a
user is one mile from an airport and two miles from a gas station,
social-networking system 460 may determine that the user has a
higher coefficient for the airport than the gas station based on
the proximity of the airport to the user.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may perform
particular actions with respect to a user based on coefficient
information. Coefficients may be used to predict whether a user
will perform a particular action based on the user's interest in
the action. A coefficient may be used when generating or presenting
any type of objects to a user, such as advertisements, search
results, news stories, media, messages, notifications, or other
suitable objects. The coefficient may also be utilized to rank and
order such objects, as appropriate. In this way, social-networking
system 460 may provide information that is relevant to user's
interests and current circumstances, increasing the likelihood that
they will find such information of interest. In particular
embodiments, social-networking system 460 may generate content
based on coefficient information. Content objects may be provided
or selected based on coefficients specific to a user. As an example
and not by way of limitation, the coefficient may be used to
generate media for the user, where the user may be presented with
media for which the user has a high overall coefficient with
respect to the media object. As another example and not by way of
limitation, the coefficient may be used to generate advertisements
for the user, where the user may be presented with advertisements
for which the user has a high overall coefficient with respect to
the advertised object. In particular embodiments, social-networking
system 460 may generate search results based on coefficient
information. Search results for a particular user may be scored or
ranked based on the coefficient associated with the search results
with respect to the querying user. As an example and not by way of
limitation, search results corresponding to objects with higher
coefficients may be ranked higher on a search-results page than
results corresponding to objects having lower coefficients.
In particular embodiments, social-networking system 460 may
calculate a coefficient in response to a request for a coefficient
from a particular system or process. To predict the likely actions
a user may take (or may be the subject of) in a given situation,
any process may request a calculated coefficient for a user. The
request may also include a set of weights to use for various
factors used to calculate the coefficient. This request may come
from a process running on the online social network, from a
third-party system 170 (e.g., via an API or other communication
channel), or from another suitable system. In response to the
request, social-networking system 460 may calculate the coefficient
(or access the coefficient information if it has previously been
calculated and stored). In particular embodiments,
social-networking system 460 may measure an affinity with respect
to a particular process. Different processes (both internal and
external to the online social network) may request a coefficient
for a particular object or set of objects. Social-networking system
460 may provide a measure of affinity that is relevant to the
particular process that requested the measure of affinity. In this
way, each process receives a measure of affinity that is tailored
for the different context in which the process will use the measure
of affinity.
In connection with social-graph affinity and affinity coefficients,
particular embodiments may utilize one or more systems, components,
elements, functions, methods, operations, or steps disclosed in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/503,093, filed 11 Aug. 2006,
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/977,027, filed 22 Dec. 2010,
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/978,265, filed 23 Dec. 2010,
and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/632,869, filed 1 Oct. 2012,
each of which is incorporated by reference.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example computer system. In particular
embodiments, one or more computer systems 600 perform one or more
steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. In
particular embodiments, one or more computer systems 600 provide
functionality described or illustrated herein. In particular
embodiments, software running on one or more computer systems 600
performs one or more steps of one or more methods described or
illustrated herein or provides functionality described or
illustrated herein. Particular embodiments include one or more
portions of one or more computer systems 600. Herein, reference to
a computer system may encompass a computing device, and vice versa,
where appropriate. Moreover, reference to a computer system may
encompass one or more computer systems, where appropriate.
This disclosure contemplates any suitable number of computer
systems 600. This disclosure contemplates computer system 600
taking any suitable physical form. As example and not by way of
limitation, computer system 600 may be an embedded computer system,
a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) (such
as, for example, a computer-on-module (COM) or system-on-module
(SOM)), a desktop computer system, a laptop or notebook computer
system, an interactive kiosk, a mainframe, a mesh of computer
systems, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a
server, a tablet computer system, an augmented/virtual reality
device, or a combination of two or more of these. Where
appropriate, computer system 600 may include one or more computer
systems 600; be unitary or distributed; span multiple locations;
span multiple machines; span multiple data centers; or reside in a
cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one or
more networks. Where appropriate, one or more computer systems 600
may perform without substantial spatial or temporal limitation one
or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated
herein. As an example and not by way of limitation, one or more
computer systems 600 may perform in real time or in batch mode one
or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated
herein. One or more computer systems 600 may perform at different
times or at different locations one or more steps of one or more
methods described or illustrated herein, where appropriate.
In particular embodiments, computer system 600 includes a processor
602, memory 604, storage 606, an input/output (I/O) interface 608,
a communication interface 610, and a bus 612. Although this
disclosure describes and illustrates a particular computer system
having a particular number of particular components in a particular
arrangement, this disclosure contemplates any suitable computer
system having any suitable number of any suitable components in any
suitable arrangement.
In particular embodiments, processor 602 includes hardware for
executing instructions, such as those making up a computer program.
As an example and not by way of limitation, to execute
instructions, processor 602 may retrieve (or fetch) the
instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, memory
604, or storage 606; decode and execute them; and then write one or
more results to an internal register, an internal cache, memory
604, or storage 606. In particular embodiments, processor 602 may
include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, or
addresses. This disclosure contemplates processor 602 including any
suitable number of any suitable internal caches, where appropriate.
As an example and not by way of limitation, processor 602 may
include one or more instruction caches, one or more data caches,
and one or more translation lookaside buffers (TLBs). Instructions
in the instruction caches may be copies of instructions in memory
604 or storage 606, and the instruction caches may speed up
retrieval of those instructions by processor 602. Data in the data
caches may be copies of data in memory 604 or storage 606 for
instructions executing at processor 602 to operate on; the results
of previous instructions executed at processor 602 for access by
subsequent instructions executing at processor 602 or for writing
to memory 604 or storage 606; or other suitable data. The data
caches may speed up read or write operations by processor 602. The
TLBs may speed up virtual-address translation for processor 602. In
particular embodiments, processor 602 may include one or more
internal registers for data, instructions, or addresses. This
disclosure contemplates processor 602 including any suitable number
of any suitable internal registers, where appropriate. Where
appropriate, processor 602 may include one or more arithmetic logic
units (ALUs); be a multi-core processor; or include one or more
processors 602. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates
a particular processor, this disclosure contemplates any suitable
processor.
In particular embodiments, memory 604 includes main memory for
storing instructions for processor 602 to execute or data for
processor 602 to operate on. As an example and not by way of
limitation, computer system 600 may load instructions from storage
606 or another source (such as, for example, another computer
system 600) to memory 604. Processor 602 may then load the
instructions from memory 604 to an internal register or internal
cache. To execute the instructions, processor 602 may retrieve the
instructions from the internal register or internal cache and
decode them. During or after execution of the instructions,
processor 602 may write one or more results (which may be
intermediate or final results) to the internal register or internal
cache. Processor 602 may then write one or more of those results to
memory 604. In particular embodiments, processor 602 executes only
instructions in one or more internal registers or internal caches
or in memory 604 (as opposed to storage 606 or elsewhere) and
operates only on data in one or more internal registers or internal
caches or in memory 604 (as opposed to storage 606 or elsewhere).
One or more memory buses (which may each include an address bus and
a data bus) may couple processor 602 to memory 604. Bus 612 may
include one or more memory buses, as described below. In particular
embodiments, one or more memory management units (MMUs) reside
between processor 602 and memory 604 and facilitate accesses to
memory 604 requested by processor 602. In particular embodiments,
memory 604 includes random access memory (RAM). This RAM may be
volatile memory, where appropriate Where appropriate, this RAM may
be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, where
appropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM.
This disclosure contemplates any suitable RAM. Memory 604 may
include one or more memories 604, where appropriate. Although this
disclosure describes and illustrates particular memory, this
disclosure contemplates any suitable memory.
In particular embodiments, storage 606 includes mass storage for
data or instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation,
storage 606 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk
drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc,
magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive or a
combination of two or more of these. Storage 606 may include
removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate.
Storage 606 may be internal or external to computer system 600,
where appropriate. In particular embodiments, storage 606 is
non-volatile, solid-state memory. In particular embodiments,
storage 606 includes read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate,
this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM),
erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM),
electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a
combination of two or more of these. This disclosure contemplates
mass storage 606 taking any suitable physical form. Storage 606 may
include one or more storage control units facilitating
communication between processor 602 and storage 606, where
appropriate. Where appropriate, storage 606 may include one or more
storages 606. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates
particular storage, this disclosure contemplates any suitable
storage.
In particular embodiments, I/O interface 608 includes hardware,
software, or both, providing one or more interfaces for
communication between computer system 600 and one or more I/O
devices. Computer system 600 may include one or more of these I/O
devices, where appropriate. One or more of these I/O devices may
enable communication between a person and computer system 600. As
an example and not by way of limitation, an I/O device may include
a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse, printer, scanner,
speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touch screen, trackball,
video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination of two
or more of these. An I/O device may include one or more sensors.
This disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O devices and any
suitable I/O interfaces 608 for them. Where appropriate, I/O
interface 608 may include one or more device or software drivers
enabling processor 602 to drive one or more of these I/O devices.
I/O interface 608 may include one or more I/O interfaces 608, where
appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a
particular I/O interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable
I/O interface.
In particular embodiments, communication interface 610 includes
hardware, software, or both providing one or more interfaces for
communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication)
between computer system 600 and one or more other computer systems
600 or one or more networks. As an example and not by way of
limitation, communication interface 610 may include a network
interface controller (NIC) or network adapter for communicating
with an Ethernet or other wire-based network or a wireless NIC
(WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless
network, such as a WI-FI network. This disclosure contemplates any
suitable network and any suitable communication interface 610 for
it. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system 600
may communicate with an ad hoc network, a personal area network
(PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a
metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or more portions of the
Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more
portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless.
As an example, computer system 600 may communicate with a wireless
PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI
network, a WI-MAX network, a cellular telephone network (such as,
for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
network), or other suitable wireless network or a combination of
two or more of these. Computer system 600 may include any suitable
communication interface 610 for any of these networks, where
appropriate. Communication interface 610 may include one or more
communication interfaces 610, where appropriate. Although this
disclosure describes and illustrates a particular communication
interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable communication
interface.
In particular embodiments, bus 612 includes hardware, software, or
both coupling components of computer system 600 to each other. As
an example and not by way of limitation, bus 612 may include an
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced
Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB),
a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count
(LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCIe)
bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video
Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, or another
suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Bus 612 may
include one or more buses 612, where appropriate. Although this
disclosure describes and illustrates a particular bus, this
disclosure contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.
Herein, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium or media
may include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated
circuits (ICs) (such, as for example, field-programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific ICs (ASICs)), hard disk
drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical discs, optical
disc drives (ODDs), magneto-optical discs, magneto-optical drives,
floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes,
solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM-drives, SECURE DIGITAL cards or
drives, any other suitable computer-readable non-transitory storage
media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these, where
appropriate. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium may
be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and
non-volatile, where appropriate.
Herein, "or" is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly
indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore,
herein, "A or B" means "A, B, or both," unless expressly indicated
otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, "and" is
both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or
indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, "A and B" means
"A and B, jointly or severally," unless expressly indicated
otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.
The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes,
substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the
example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person
having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of
this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described
or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes
and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including
particular components, elements, feature, functions, operations, or
steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or
permutation of any of the components, elements, features,
functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere
herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would
comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an
apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being
adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to,
operable to, or operative to perform a particular function
encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or
that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as
long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted,
arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative.
Additionally, although this disclosure describes or illustrates
particular embodiments as providing particular advantages,
particular embodiments may provide none, some, or all of these
advantages.
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